Backyard Farms

09/04/2026

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07/26/2026

Most people think a rooster simply climbs on a hen... and that's where the story ends. But what actually happens inside the hen is incredible.

This diagram shows what happens during and after mating.

When a rooster mates with a hen, s***m enters through the cloaca, a single opening used for reproduction.

The s***m then travels up the hen's oviduct, where it can survive for up to two weeks. That means one successful mating can fertilize several eggs, not just one.

At the same time, the hen's o***y contains eggs at different stages of development.

As each yolk is released, it travels through the oviduct, where it can be fertilized before the egg white, membranes, and shell are formed.

That's why a hen can continue laying fertile eggs for days after just one mating.

Nature has designed chickens with an incredibly efficient reproductive system.

Now I'm curious...

Did you already know that one mating can fertilize multiple eggs, or is this the first time you have learned it?

Drop "I knew" or "I didn't know" in the comments. And if you have ever hatched chicks naturally, tell us how many chicks your best broody hen hatched at one time!